The FA Cup 2008/9

[BALLHOG]

United ended up winning 2-1. Good win after trailing so early and great to see Berbatov score the winner from a tidy finish.

Could not agree more although I'm not sure on Berba just yet but does look to be hitting his straps. Yes DA Carrick is a gun.

[smithy]

I found it weird that Utd fans only sung for about 5 minutes after going in front. .

Bit hard to sing when your mouth is stuffed with these.

[johntheclaret]

Funny enough, I was thinking about the Spurs fans. You could hear them for most of the game, even when they went 2 - 1 down.

What struck me odd, was that they were quiet as mice on Wednesday fro 188 minutes.

[johntheclaret]

Sat 24th Jan. 4th round

Results

Man Utd 2 Tottenham 1
Sunderland 0 Blackburn 0
Chelsea 3 Ipswich 1
Doncaster 0 Aston Villa 0
Portsmouth 0 Swansea 2
Wolves 1 Middlesbrough 2
West Brom 2 Burnley 2
Hull 2 Millwall 0
Hartlepool 0 West Ham 2
Kettering 2 Fulham 4
Sheffield United 2 Charlton 1
Watford 4 Crystal Palace 3
Torquay 0 Coventry 1
Derby 1 Nottm Forest 1

Round Up

Holders Portsmouth were dumped out of the FA Cup today as they were stunned by Championship club Swansea at Fratton Park.
Nathan Dyer, on loan to the Swans from Pompey's arch-rivals Southampton, silenced the boo-boys in the 27th minute as he raced into the area and fired past goalkeeper David James.
Things then got worse for Portsmouth moments before the break when Nadir Belhadj brought down Jordi Gomez in the area and Jason Scotland converted the penalty to make it 2-0.

Manchester United had to come from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 in a battle of two injury-ravaged sides.
Roman Pavlyuchenko's glancing header from a Tom Huddlestone cross gave Spurs a shock fifth-minute lead, but United levelled through Paul Scholes' deflected strike.
And a minute later, two former Spurs combined to put United ahead as Michael Carrick's pass was clinically converted by Dimitar Berbatov.
Spurs huffed and puffed in the second half but were unable to find an equaliser to force a replay at White Hart Lane.

Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora spared Fulham's blushes away to non-league Kettering, firing home late goals as the Cottagers won 4-2 at Rockingham Road.
It looked like it might be easy for the Premier League side when Simon Davies gave them a 12th-minute lead with a sweet volley, but Craig Westcarr fired in a deflected free-kick 10 minutes before the break.
Danny Murphy restored Fulham's advantage but Westcarr quickly tied it up again with an 83rd-minute penalty.
But with the hosts dreaming of a replay, quickfire goals from Johnson and Zamora decided it late on.

Chelsea made hard work of Ipswich at Stamford Bridge before prevailing 3-1.
Michael Ballack opened the scoring as he turned in Ashley Cole's cross after quarter of an hour, but Alex Bruce levelled for the Tractor Boys when he stabbed home from close range when Chelsea failed to clear a free-kick.
Chelsea struggled to impose themselves, but went back in front when Ballack curled in a free-kick for his second before Frank Lampard's late goal wrapped things up.

Earlier, a quickfire double in the final minutes of the first half gave West Ham a 2-0 win over Hartlepool but it was not without controversy as referee Lee Mason gave the Hammers a dubious penalty.
Switzerland international Valon Behrami rifled in a shot from the edge of the area in the 44th minute and moments later Mason pointed to the spot when Michael Nelson handled the ball, albeit outside the area. Mark Noble made no mistake with the spot-kick.

Ian Ashbee's wonder strike capped a 2-0 win for Hull over Millwall after Michael Turner's headed opener.

Jobi McAnuff had a hand in all four Watford goals as the Hornets beat Crystal Palace 4-3 to go through.
McAnuff teed up Jay DeMerit and Jack Cork before Palace got back in it through Clint Hill early in the second half.
But the Hornets then made sure of progress as McAnuff crosses picked out Will Hoskins and Grzegorz Rasiak, making sure a late Paul Ifill double was not enough for the visitors.

A dramatic late goal from Martin Paterson earned Carling Cup semi-finalists Burnley a replay at home against West Brom following a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.
The Clarets had led through Graham Alexander's penalty but West Brom looked good for the win as goals from Robert Koren and Kim Do-Heon turned it around before Paterson's late intervention.

High-flying Aston Villa face a replay after being held goalless away by Doncaster, while Sunderland and Blackburn must also try again after a goalless encounter at the Stadium of Light.

Middlesbrough left it late to beat Wolves at Molineux, with Marvin Emnes coming off the substitutes' bench to fire in the winner seven minutes from time.
Sam Vokes had earlier cancelled out Afonso Alves' opener.

Goals from Danny Webber and Lee Hendrie gave Sheffield United a 2-1 victory over Charlton and a ticket into the fifth round.
Charlton got a 69th-minute goal back through Chris Dickson but were well beaten.

Elliott Ward's late goal broke Torquay hearts as Coventry won 1-0 at Plainmoor.

Replays

Ties to be played 4th Feb

Nottm Forest v Derby
Aston Villa v Doncastr
b4st4rds v Sunderland

Date TBC

Burnley v WBA

[Pidge]

Everton 1
Liverpool 0

Lescott Scores.

[smithy]

1-1 full time at Anfield.
A piece of Torres brilliance to set up THE BEST PLAYER IN THE PREMIERSHIP in Steve Gerrard to score past a disappointing effort from Howard made it 1-1.
Everton were playing like a blue square north team in the 2nd half and the celebrations from the fans on a draw, similar to last mondays, shows why they will always be a team that wins nothing.

[devilsadvocate]

Best player in the premiership?
Not sure about that.

[Bully]

1-1 full time at Anfield.
A piece of Torres brilliance to set up THE BEST PLAYER IN THE PREMIERSHIP in Steve Gerrard to score past a disappointing effort from Howard made it 1-1.
Everton were playing like a blue square north team in the 2nd half and the celebrations from the fans on a draw, similar to last mondays, shows why they will always be a team that wins nothing.

gerrard is a good player dont get me wrong but not the best for sure. i hate to say it but C Ronaldo may have it there followed a close by Lampard

[smithy]

Best player in the premiership?
Not sure about that.

Quite a biased comment no doubt.

[devilsadvocate]

Best player in the premiership?
Not sure about that.

Quite a biased comment no doubt.

I know mate.

And Bully, Lampard 2nd? Definitely not sure about that!

[RoosterMarty]

Best player in the Premiership.

Extremely biased comment.

You sound a bit bitter as well smithy, having a whinge about Everton fans celebrating a draw at Anfield. Now they get to go to Goodison Park and have a real crack at getting through to the next stage. Liverpool have failed to beat Everton at Anfield twice in a row, wheels starting to fall off maybe??

[smithy]

Best player in the Premiership.

Extremely biased comment.

Surprisingly I was thinking of you when I wrote that comment RM..

You sound a bit bitter as well smithy, having a whinge about Everton fans celebrating a draw at Anfield. Now they get to go to Goodison Park and have a real crack at getting through to the next stage. Liverpool have failed to beat Everton at Anfield twice in a row, wheels starting to fall off maybe??

Bitter??? Not sure but lets just say that alcohol and keyboards don't mix at 4.00am .

For a club that likes to be called "big", celebrating a draw like they won the champions league just doesn't sit well with me. If it was a lower league team ,, fine, great effort, but not a so called big club.

Wheels falling off? Not sure but they certainly haven't been playing well since Rafa made his comments.

[Bully]

Best player in the premiership?
Not sure about that.

Quite a biased comment no doubt.

I know mate.

And Bully, Lampard 2nd? Definitely not sure about that!

who is your second best then?

[devilsadvocate]

who is your second best then?

Gerrard is better than fat Frank.
Berbatov
Torres

Don't get me wrong, Fatty Lumpard is up there, but he's not 2nd best IMO.

[johntheclaret]

FA Cup fifth round draw

The Premier League 'big' four - Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - have been kept apart in the FA Cup fifth round.

Manchester United have been handed an away clash against the winners of the Derby and Nottingham Forest replay.

Chelsea also face a trip to Championship opposition as they face Watford - now managed by their former coach Brendan Rogers.

Liverpool or Everton, will be at home in the next round against either Aston Villa or Doncaster, in what could be the highlight of the round.

Arsenal, who will take on Cardiff back at the Emirates, will be at home in the next round if they make it, with Burnley or West Brom next up for Arsene Wenger's men.

Swansea, who knocked out holders Portsmouth, have been rewarded with a home tie and again against Premier League opposition as they will face Fulham at The Liberty Stadium.

The only guaranteed all Premier League clash will be at Upton Park as West ham entertain Middlesbrough.

Sunderland or Blackburn have been handed a home tie with Championship side Coventry waiting for the winner of their replay.

Finally, there is a Yorkshire derby at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United entertain Hull City.

Draw in full
Sheff Utd v Hull

Watford v Chelsea

West Ham v Middlesbrough

Sunderland or Blackburn v Coventry

Derby or Nottm Forest v Man Utd

Swansea v Fulham

Liverpool or Everton v Doncaster or Aston Villa

Cardiff or Arsenal v West Brom or Burnley

Ties to be played over the weekend of the 14/15th Feb

[BALLHOG]

Come on Nottm Forest don't want to play Derby again out there.

[Dirko]

Ohh please, please...let Derby beat Forest so we can revenge the League Cup loss.....

[RoosterMarty]

If you get over Forest you should be a good chance against United.

There was that 1-0 win over the important-to-some Cup, and even last season we needed a late Ronaldo goal to beat you there...

[devilsadvocate]

the important-to-some Cup

Whatever tupac.

[smithy]

TEAM NEWS Everton v Liverpool
Everton striker Victor Anichebe does not even make the bench, as David Moyes names an unchanged line-up. Liverpool make two changes: Andrea Dossena replaces Fabio Aurelio, Lucas is in for Javier Mascherano.